Car-placing attachment for excavators.



No. 757,450. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904. H. H. GEORGE, JR. GAR PLACING ATTACHMENT FOR BXGAVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 757,450. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

H. H. GEORGE, JR. GAR PLAGING ATTACHMENT FOR EXGAVATORS.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 26, 1904. N0 MODEL. 2 BHEETSSHEET Z.

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UNITED STATES Patented April '19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-PLACING ATTACHMENT FOR EXCAVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,450, dated April 19, 1904. Application filed January 26, 1904 Serial No. 196,645- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. GEORGE, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, Henrico county, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-PlacingAttarbhments for Excavators, of which the following is a specification.

In excavating-work in which a power-excavator or steam-shovel is used it is customary to use a locomotive to place or spot the cars into which the excavated material is dumped. This requires, in addition to the locomotive, an engineer and a fireman, and the operation of placing the cars is therefore quite expensive.

The present invention relates to an attachment for power-excavators by means 'of which the dump-cars may be spotted without using a locomotive. The attachment comprisesan additional engine, which is provided with a winding-drum and a rope extending from said drum which is adapted to be connected to the cars to move them in either direction.

The invention will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing an excavating-machine provided with the present improvement and a series of cars to be loaded. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of aportion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a section through the excavator upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. 1

Referring to the drawings, A indicates an excavating-machine of any suitable form having a power-operated boom-crane 1, carrying an excavating shovel or bucket 2. The excavator A is shown as mounted on a platform 3, which may be provided with the usual cartrucks for running on a track 4 or with suitable supporting or traction wheels. A housin g 5 for the machinery is usually provided.

Adjacent to the excavator are one or more tracks 6, which are usually of narrow gage and on which the dump-cars 7 travel. These cars are successively loaded by the shovel 2, and they must be placed successively under the dumping position of the shovel for this purpose. This placing or spotting has heretofore been elfected by the use of a locomotive, which must be constantly in attendance,

as the cars are rapidly filled. In carrying out my invention. I provide the excavator with a spotting engine 8 of suitable construction, which engine is geared or connected to a drum 9 and supplied with steam from the boiler 10, which supplies power for the excavating machinery. To the drum 9 is. connected a rope orcable 11. The axis of the drum is preferably arranged lengthwise of the car, and the cable is adapted to pass out laterally from the drum at either side of the car between a pair of horizontal sheaves 12 and a pair of vertically-arranged sheaves 13. As shown, the sheaves 12 and 13 are duplicated at each side of the car, the sheaves 13 being outside of the sheaves 12 and close to the edge of the car or platform, so that the external portion of the cable will be clear of the car body or housing. The sheaves 12 and 13 are mounted in any suitable bearings attached to the car platform or body. Adjacent to the sheaves 13 there are openings or doorways 14, in which the operator of the spotting-engine may stand. Gonvenient to the opening 14 is a controlling-le- ,ver 15, which ispivoted to a fulcrum 16.. The

shown being a hook 20, which connects to eyes 21 on the cars. 7

- My invention may be utilized by connecting the cable to the rear car of a train of dump-cars and operating the engine intermittently to spot the cars successively under the dumping position of the shovel. In order to pull the cars beyond the spotting-engine,

the cable may be passed around a suitablyanchored pulley-block 22, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This will enable the engineer to spot the last car of the train. The cable may be passed through the pulley-block in the first instance and all the cars thus spotted without making any change. By locating pulley-blocks at different points any desired movement of the cars either backward or forward may be effected by means of the spotting-engine. The cars may be shifted to some extent after they are loaded-for instance, onto a sidingto make room for additional cars on the main track 6. The spotting-engine is preferably located, as shown, near the center of the excavating apparatus; but it maybe otherwise located, if desired.

It is to be noted that the spotting-engine is entirely independent of the other machinery of the excavator. In order words, it is an addition or an attachment to the excavator now in common use, its object being to supplant the usual shifting-locomotive by a less expensive means. The spotting-engine might be operated by compressed air,.hydrocarbon, or electricity, which ever may be most convenient. It will usually be operated from the source of power which supplies the engines of the excavator. By the use of this invention the expense of excavating is very much reduced, the spotting-engine being much cheaper than a locomotive and requiring but one man to operate it. As it forms a permanent part of the excavator, it may be transported from place to place without additional cost, whereas the expense of transporting a narrow-gage locomotive is considerable.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination with a power-excavator and its sustaining car or platform, of a track adjacent to the excavator and adapted to sustain cars to be filled by'the excavator, aspotting-engine upon the excavator-platform and independent of the excavating apparatus, a drum operated by said engine, a cable connected with said drum, and means for connecting the cable with dump-cars on said track, whereby said cars may be successively located in position to be filled by the excavator.

2. The combination with a power-excavator nected with said drum, sheaves suitably mounted at the side of the platform through which said cable passes, and means for connecting the cable with dump-cars on said track, whereby said cars may be successively located in position to be filled by the excavator.

3. The combination witha power-excavator and its sustaining car or platform, of a track adjacent to the excavator and adapted to sustain cars to be filled by the excavator, aspotting-engine upon the excavator-platform and independent of the excavating apparatus, a drum operated by said engine, a cable connected with said drum, sheaves arranged at opposite sides of the platform for guiding the cable, means for controlling the spotting-engine from either side of the platform, and means for connecting the cable with dumpcars on said track, whereby said cars may be successively located in position to be filled by the excavator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. GEORGE, JR.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. WATSON, ALEXANDER S. STEUART. 

